EW has confirmed that George Clooney has been been arrested in our nation’s capital. The news broke when Ann Curry tweeted, “Under arrest: George Clooney and his father Nick for protesting Sudan’s attacks on its Nuba people. Arrested at Sudan’s embassy in DC.” The politically outspoken Oscar winner has been mounting a Beltway campaign this week to bring awareness to the struggle of the Sudanese people, which he believes could present “a real humanitarian disaster” if it goes unaddressed.

A rep for Clooney issued this statement: “They were protesting the violence committed by the government of Sudan on its own innocent men, women and children. They were demanding they allow humanitarian aid into the country before it becomes the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.”

Per the AP, the Clooneys were joined outside the Sudanese Embassy by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia and NAACP President Ben Jealous. The protesters were warned three times not to cross a police line outside the embassy, then handcuffed and placed in a U.S. Secret Service van (video below). UPDATE: Clooney has been released from custody.

Per E! Online, Clooney told reporters, “What we’ve been trying to achieve today is… bring attention to an ongoing emergency…. one of those ways was, apparently, get arrested.”

Clooney continued, “We just came back [from Sudan], the real danger of course is there are people dying everyday there… You never know if you’re going to accomplish anything, all we’re trying to do is bring attention to a moment.”